


Persona/ Extra

by orphan_account



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Assassination Attempt(s), Canon-Typical Violence, Enthusiastic Consent, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/F, FateEXTRA AU, Futaba is infiltrating a conspiracy, Gun Violence, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Suicidal Thoughts, master to master mana transfer, no beta we die like men, no fate universe characters sorry, personas are servants, severe liberties taken with fate universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-06 21:39:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16840921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Sometimes your friends dare you to use your hacker friend's new virtual reality equipment. Sometimes, you end up where you shouldn't, and learn a few new things about yourself. All Akira knew was now he was stuck inside the S.E.R.A.P.H with the unheard of ability to manage multiple servants, and now Futaba wanted to use him to help her take down the man trying to cheat the grail war. Or else the fate of the living world outside may be doomed. They must carefully navigate their way through the eliminations to take the grail before the other side can get their hands on it, preventing them from cheating in the process. They didn't expect the other side to have someone with the same abilities as Akira, however.Fortunately Futaba is an administrator, or Akira felt he would be a dead man walking.(Though he has a feeling he might still be)Fate Extra AU of Persona 5, with several creative liberties and facts bended to better suit the plot.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my first times with creative writing since i was a child in school, but i couldn't get this idea out of my head. Fate universe feels like it could blend into Persona 5 so seamlessly. Don't expect what happens in /extra to necessarily happen in this work.  
> I hope you enjoy reading, i had a lot of fun writing this chapter!  
> If I forget to tag something, feel free to notify me.

* * *

It was a complete accident, an honest mistake. He should never have been able to access the server to begin with, only those with strong magic circuits were able to access the S.E.R.A.P.H. Akira had only done this on some collective group dare, something about betting everyone was too chicken to try. Briefly, he wondered if any of the others had connected. I mean, if a nobody like him was able to, so should his friends, right? Akira examined the view above him, there was only the slightest hint of the digital looking grid peaking through the illusion of a normal sky. If you weren’t paying attention the average person wouldn’t even notice anything amiss at all.

Why Shujin though? If the game was supposed to be international, why would they pick a school like Shujin? Probably better not to think about that coincidence too hard, it would likely only leave him with more questions than answers. ‘Speaking of answers…’ He needed to find, Futaba, and quick, he wasn’t supposed to be here. Futaba on the other hand, was actually a Magus and would definitely be here, it was her equipment that Akira and the others had used to do this whole thing. She was supposed to be working for S.E.R.A.P.H, right? Where would he find staff? Looking at the school gate, he saw Makoto standing and greeting the people dressed as students entering the school ground. So she made it in?

Akira walked up to the school gate, waving to Makoto to get the Student council president’s attention. When she looked up, she was looking at him with a gaze of unfamiliarity. What?  
“Yes? If there’s something you need help with, I’m afraid it’ll have to wait until later. I’m quite busy seeing to the gate, as you can see.” Makoto was speaking as though Akira was a complete stranger Akira frowned, pushing the glasses up the bridge of his nose. Was she trying to be funny?‘No..Makoto doesn’t know how to joke like this, it isn’t in her nature.’ But still, how could she act like she didn’t know him?

  
“Makoto, it’s me, Akira? Are you okay?” He tried to play it off lightly, keeping the growing concern from his voice.

Makoto only gave him a blank stare in return, looking unamused with her arms now crossed infront of her.  
“The transfer student, correct? I don’t really know what it is you’re getting at, but you need to head inside now. I need to get back to my duty overseeing student arrivals.” She turned away from him, resuming her earlier actions in moderating the people entering the grounds.

Akira’s frown deepened, he looked at Makoto for a few moments more before moving towards the school entrance. Feeling more determined to find where Futaba was hiding. It wasn’t until he stopped in front of the shoe lockers to change into the indoor shoes that the idea hit him like a lightning bolt. His phone! He should have him phone with him, if everything else came right? Akira’s hand frantically dug through his pockets, searching for the device. He found it hiding in his bags front pocket. Odd, he didn’t normally keep it there.  
“Alright let’s see..What?” An empty contact list stared back at Akira as more confusion settled into him. It was definitely his phone, what was up? ‘Shouldn’t my contacts have stayed if everything I had on me uploaded?’ There was nothing he could do about it now, so he pocketed his phone and headed up the stairs. It seemed as though everyone was acting like it was a normal school day. So it fell in line that he was probably expected to go to class.

* * *

Homeroom was exactly where it should be, and looked exactly the same. Right down to Ms. Kawakami shouting for everyone to get into their seats and quiet down. Everything was normal, Is this was was supposed to happen? He didn’t understand what was so important about this to Futaba if the way things were currently going were any indication. Perhaps this was all just an elaborate prank by Futaba to trick them into testing some new program she had invented. Though..if there were the case, why didn’t he recognize half the people in this class? Some were sitting with such looks of determination on them that it was almost unsettling. They weren’t even doing work, Kawakami seemingly ignorant to their lack of action despite being in plain sight.

Time seemed to pass quickly, soon the bell rung and he gathered his things to go in search finally of Futaba. If those strange students seemed to be getting away with doing nothing, then perhaps no one would call him out for skipping class. Akira needed answers, and possibly a way to get out and back into the real world. Shutting the door on his way out Akira walked with purpose down the hall, he wasn’t sure where to look. Maybe the obvious place would be the computer lab. He had made it halfway into the practice building when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. “Ah?” Brows furrowed in mild confusion, which seemed to be a theme today, he plucked his phone from his pocket and unlocked the screen. It was..a message?

[9:42AM] Oracle: Aki wtf.  
[9:42AM] Oracle: how r u in here!!! ٩(๑`^´๑)۶

That’s certainly what he would like to know, for sure. Akira typed out a response, hopeful this Oracle was Futaba.

[9:44AM] Akira: …Futaba?  
[9:44AM] Oracle: No duh, noob.  
[9:44AM] Oracle: Why r u here. How tf (~_~;)  
[9:45AM] Akira: We might have..  
[9:45AM] Akira: Used your weird chairs and helmets in a dare.  
[9:45AM] Akira: I thought nothing would happen I swear!  
Oracle is typing…

Uh oh, this was taking more than a few moments. Akira was definitely in trouble now. Not that he didn’t know he would be eventually, she would have found out anyway if and when he found her. This was only speeding up the process a bit, right? As he leaned against the wall his phone started buzzing rapidly. Shit.

[9:50AM] Oracle: U DID WAT (# ﾟДﾟ)  
[9:50AM] Oracle: DO U HAVE ZERO BRAINCELLS!! YOU COULD HAVE MCFUCKING DIEDIF THE CONNECTIONED WAS INTERRUPTED I DIDN’T FINISH THAT SHIT YET!! ٩(๑`^´๑)۶  
[9:50AM] Oracle: u need to come to the computer lab, N O W, noob!! Ur in fukkin trouble!  
[9:51AM] Akira: see you in a few minutes.

Akira pocketed the phone before she could reply, and started off in the direction of the computer club room. Atleast he had been correct in his assumption of where she might be. The halls were strangely empty the further into the practice building he got. Glances through club room windows painted a similar picture, nobody was here. It was almost a little unnerving how silent it was too. Nothing but the sounds of his own footsteps keeping him company. All posters on the bulletin boards where blank. Odd, did they always have so many bulletin boards? He chalked it up to mistake in design as he reached the door to the club room. A faint buzz of static coming from the room. Akira reached for the door handle and nearly grasped it when a blue light in his peripheral caught his eye.

The light was glowing from around the corner. Ominous in nature and fluctuating, it was as though it called out to Akira. Daring him to set closer and seek out the source. Before he could do that however, the Computer room door slammed open and a small hand shot out and grasped him by the collar of his turtle neck. Violently pulling him into the dark room, the suddenness of it throwing Akira off balance and preventing him from pulling back against the tight grip. He tripped over his own foot stumbling inside and fell flat onto the floor. A loud groan turned into a loud grunt when just as suddenly there was now an unknown weight straddling him. It kept him pinned to the floor. He brushed the hair out of his face to look up, he probably should have expected this. Sitting on his lower back was none other than Futaba, wearing a strange black bodysuit with accents of neon green. And were those shoulder and elbow pads, what were the goggles for?

Futaba tried to glare down at Akira, but it mostly translated into an angry pout.  
“Alright, spill it! Tell me why some level 1 playable character like you managed to get into a high level area like this! “ She crossed her arms, trying to look as intimidating as possible. Akira pushed his glasses up again, accepting defeat that he won’t be getting off the floor anytime soon if his local gremlin had anything to say about it.  
“I don’t know! That’s why I was actually looking for you, I should be the one asking you questions!” Futaba rolled her eyes and smacked him in the back. Okay, ow?  
“This isn’t a game Akira, you’ve fucked up really bad this time. Do you even know what this is?” Her expression turned from angry to serious, concern starting to show in her eyes.  
“What do you mean, it’s not a game? Futaba, what are you talking about, what did I fuck up?” Akira was growing worried, a strange sensation of doom and fear starting to linger at the back of his neck, as though in anticipation of some apocalyptic event.

“This is a holy grail war, Akira. Where if you’re eliminated from the competition, you’re body DIES in real life.” The words crashed into him with the force of a rhino on a stampede. This wasn’t happening. Akira’s expression turned pale and horrified, fear settling nicely into his head, spreading through his entire body. Futaba worried her bottom lip and was looking almost equally upset. When he spoke, Akira couldn’t keep his voice from shaking.  
“Am I..g-going to die, Futaba?”


	2. What the fuck is a Moon cell?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira has more questions than answers, and really wishes Futaba would cut the video game lingo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter two GET! I'm much more pleased with how this chapter came out, and im more confident about this! Thank you so much for reading, I hope make the chapters longer the further in we get to the story.

* * *

“Am I..g-going to _die_ , Futaba?” Akira felt a cold sweat form at the back of his neck, this was serious. Why did he think of this had been a good idea? Was Futaba actually serious, did people really die here? He didn’t want to think about the harsh reality of this situation, it was too much.

Futaba relaxed her arms, giving Akira a worried look as she got off from straddling his back. As she stood Akira grunted at the weight that suddenly lifted off his person, grateful for at least that relief. The girl was small but damn she was still heavy considering where she’d been sitting. She extended her hand down for Akira to take to help him stand up, and he could see her trying to formulate a response to his question. That didn’t bode well with him, once standing Akira took the chance to look at his surroundings.

The room itself was dark, and mostly illuminated by the many computers filling the room, they had strangely been arranged into a semicircle amongst the room. Possibly for Futaba’s own ease.

“I…” Futaba began, finally having found the words she thought she wanted to use. It wouldn’t do any good to freak her found brother out any more than he apparently already was. “It’s a _definite_ possibility, unfortunately. I’m not sure there’s enough time for me to boot you and the other four from this place before the actual fight begins.” Futaba skewed her eyes shut, desperately trying to hold in the small tears she knew were starting to form at the corners of her eyes. This wasn’t supposed to happen, if their group hadn’t been so absolutely brain dead and left her lab alone like she had told them, she wouldn’t have to pile this ontop of the hard work she was already undertaking.

“But maybe you can help me, actually…Yes! _Yes_ , I can make this work, Akira! I won’t let you die, I’ve decided!” Well, _he would certainly hope she wouldn’t_. She stomped her foot to the ground not unlike a petulant child in defiance of their parents. Her mind was already working in overtime and formulating new plans and work arounds. She had to act quickly though, the window before the server was closed to new entries would end in only a few days.

“Quickly! Follow me over here I need to get to work immediately if this is going to work, I’ll try to catch you up on your situation in terms even a noobie like you can understand” Filled with fiery determination Futaba moved with purpose and immediately sat at her chair, pulling holographic keyboards from seemingly nowhere. Akira didn’t have a chance to respond yet, only staring blankly at the family hacker as she sat to get to work. He supposed he didn’t have much of a choice, but what did Futaba mean about helping her? She _decided_ she wasn’t going to let him die? What was he, a _video game_ character?

Without even looking, Futaba pointed to a chair next to her, motioning with her finger for Akira to sit. Her goggles had already been pushed back down over her eyes and was typing up a storm on something. Akira couldn’t decipher what exactly, it was leagues above his pay grade.

“What did you mean, when you said I could help you? Are you going to tell me what’s going on like you said?” His voice was still laced with heavy concern, and her words and failed to alleviate the current panic coursing through his veins. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest, this was too much already. Akira was placing all his trust in Futaba.

“Okay well, first of all, Aki, I need to evaluate your magic circuits, put this on.” A press of her enter key and a cuff bracelet appeared in her hand. How did she do that? He took it from her hand and put it on with little difficulty. The bracelet beeped to life and the small screen on it glowed bright green. He was filled with the sensation of static, and the distinct feeling that this was an extreme violation of personal inner privacy. Though he’d lost any form of privacy the moment he’d learned she’d bugged Leblanc, anyway. The sensation faded as quickly as it had begun, the bracelet beeping again to signify its finish.

“Hmmm, it’s weak, but it’s definitely there. Somehow still strong enough for the Moon cell to let you in, apparently. Keh, it’d be just like him, rigging it to let weaklings in on purpose for less competition! _Bastard!_ ” Her little outburst caused her to accidentally handle Akira’s wrist a little too roughly, causing a small yelp. Futaba ignored him, banging her fists on her leg and muttering on in anger about something he didn’t quite catch. Rigging? What exactly was Futaba getting herself into here in the first place? Maybe it was a good thing he’d gotten here after all.

“What’s…a Moon cell? Who are you talking about?” Gripping onto Futaba’s shoulder he settled a steeled look at her face, pushing aside his anxiety for now in favor of finding out exactly what it was Futaba was doing. As it was, it sounded an awful lot like she was butting her nose in where it didn’t belong again. He would not allow her to stumble into the same fate and her mother. Not that he was any better, but what was the saying? _‘Do as I say not as I do’_? Yes, that was it. Akira didn’t follow his own advice but dammit if he wasn’t feeling a growing will to stay here and keep her safe. Not too fast there though, Futaba wasn’t some helpless ‘maiden’ or what have you. She was very capable of handling herself in the realm of anything digital. Still, this was starting to feel like a situation where her eyes had been much larger than her mouth.

Grinning her Cheshire grin, Futaba started to laugh to herself. That…never boded well. He let her go on, however, as she stopped laughing long enough to answer his question.

“Alright noob! We’re gonna put you through the training tutorial real soon, but I guess considering your nature and stats you won’t let me skip the exposition dialogue” Akira nodded, pretending he even understood half the game lingo she was spouting. ‘ _Smile and nod, Akira, smile and nod.’_ “Alright so we’re gonna play it like a Castle Hearts cutscene and delete the skip button altogether!” What. “So..First of all, the moon cell is what creates an artificial environment of sorts, it’s what our consciousness is currently existing in right now. It does way way more than that, obvs, but I won’t get into that until after I’ve secured Ann, Ryuji, Makoto, and Haru’s positions.”

“Right..” He was going to pretend his made sense, but so far it just sounded like the moon cell was an over glorified computer server. “And the rigging?” He frowned when Futaba shook her head. “Wrong game stage, Akira! That cutscene is for later!” Akira couldn’t help how his eyes rolled at the statement, she was absolutely _way_ too calm now considering he might, you, fucking die? “If you say so…”

Futaba puffed out her chest in mock victory, turning away from the keyboard to pull her goggles up again so she could talk to him proper.

“Let’s see…We’ll need to get you a servant, too, if we have any hopes of you surviving outside of my support. It’ll be like an rpg recruitment! You gotta beat up some dolls and you’ll get asked some questions, and some heroic spirit will decide if they wanna stand by your side to fight for you.” Snapping her fingers, a large floating orb began materializing, startling Akira right out of his seat and back onto the floor. Earning another cackle from Futaba. The giant orb glowed to life with strand of multi colour lights glowing from it’s seams.

“Since you’re going to be helping anyway, I don’t mind divulging my glorious servants true name to you! Meet Prometheus, One of the titans to betray his own kind, to stand in allegiance with Zuess!” It was almost like she was gloating about some grand achievement, but he supposed this kinda…was exactly that. Feeling satisfied by Akira’s reaction, Futaba continued.

“He’s going to be the reason why you survive this battle! With him, my hacking will know no bounds! It’ll totally be like something out of the Natrix!” The orb known as Prometheus shine brighter for a second, and the next moment Akira felt himself floating back up into a standing position. Okay that was unsettling and really, really jarring. He didn’t think he could get used to that if he was to be interacting with this ‘servant’ much during their stay in what was apparently a moon cell. A stay that would hopefully last him until he could get out.

“Oh! Futaba, what are we going to do about the other!? They’re also at risk aren’t they!?” Oops, so much for the anxiety in his body finally ebbing away. Now it was back full force. He couldn’t watch his friends die, there had to be a way to save all of them, right? He wasn’t going to take no for an answer. If this entire thing was all just code or whatever, Futaba could manipulate it for them, he was sure of it. Clenched fists shook with anxious energy as he tried his best to not shout at the ginger. Futaba put her hands to her cheeks, gasped, and immediately set back around to her holo keyboard. Fingers flying in a flurry like a shark frenzy.

“That’s going to take a lot longer, but I’ll get to them in order of their magic circuit strengths, just to make sure they have the best chance of survival while I skirt the systems firewall.” Her hands continued to move at a terrifying pace, was she even human? Prometheus occasionally buzzing, doing something, he didn’t know and didn’t really want to ask. All that mattered right now was he and Futaba’s mission to secure everyone together and catch up to speed on this terrible mess they’d gotten themselves into.

Akira only hoped with his entire being that Futaba’s efforts wouldn’t be put in vain by whatever she was up against. Resulting in all of their inevitable doom.


	3. A little less confused.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira gets some more answers, but must still wait for everyone to be gathered to have the foundation laid out. Was Futaba enjoying seeing him suffer like this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to break this chapter up at 3k words or it would have ben way too much. Next chapter is the last of the necessary foundation i swear!  
> Hopefully this chapter has more enjoyable substance to it. I want to make it a goal to reach at least 3 words for each chapter from now. 
> 
> Also I promise I haven't forgotten about Yuusuke or Morgana, you'll see soon enough.

* * *

As it turns out, Futaba had not in fact been exaggerating when she proclaimed to Akira that Prometheus was their gateway to surviving. He had learned so far from her that there was a conspiracy within the government, set on using the grail to bypass election entirely to put one man into power. That the people behind it wanted to wish this man has prime minister of the world.

Who knew politics could be so messy. Or shady, though he should have expected that Akira supposed.

These same people, Futaba had come to find out, had been the ones involved with her mothers murder and subsequent stolen research. From what little else he was told, Akira was told that this research involved a single piece of ‘photonic crystal’ that had come directly from the moon cell itself. Or rather, a single piece is what had been written on paper. Futaba didn’t tell him how her mother had come in possession of such a thing, but it apparently meant that when they had stolen her mother’s research on the moon cell that they had also stolen that sample along with it. He doubted she knew the reason herself, but the fact still stood that her mother had lied about only one sample existing.

A second existing sample was embedded within a tiny pendant one Wakaba Ishiki had given her daughter only days before her mysterious death.

“They tried to make it seem like a suicide… but Sojiro and I knew differently, she would _never_ have written the awful things about me that were in that letter! My mom _loved_ me, Akira!” The two of them were headed for the sports field where Prometheus had pinpointed down the locations of Ann and Ryuji.

“So, you have a piece of... this moon cell thing?” Akira cupped his hand to his chin in thought as they walked. “I thought earlier, you had told me though that this thing is all the way on the moon?” Futaba casually waved off the curious glance Akira pointed her way, not bothering to look up at him.

“I told you I don’t know everything myself yet…” She kicked the push bar to the door leading to the track field outside, the door swinging open with a loud clack. “But what’s important right now, is that whoever is behind my mom’s research being stolen and her death, have the other sample. And that’s like, water on a laptop bad.”

“What does it mean though? The samples or whatever.” The false sky above them was perfect, a flawless copy of the sky outside in the real world, if it weren’t currently for the obnoxious orb shaped servant following behind him, Akira would have thought for a moment that he was really in school still.

They stopped at the bleachers that looked over the track field ahead, Akira could see both blonde friends within the class of students using the field. They stood out easily enough. He wondered briefly if they knew where they were and were just playing along, or if they would react as Makoto had earlier. Futaba motioned for Prometheus to take a spot in front of her, the orb did as told and as if reading her mind, unfolded a computer screen and keyboard from it shell. Taking a seat on the edge of the nearest bleacher seat, Akira watched her set to work. How was no one else noticing this?

“It means that these people can _‘hack’_ the moon cell, Akira. Normally it’s impossible, but if theyre using the sample to embed the coding, then the moon cell seems to be tricked thinking you’re a normal part of it, letting you alter things you shouldn’t while flying under the radar to a degree.” No hint of game jargon or lightheartedness in Futaba’s voice told him that she was concentrating rather hard.

“I suppose you’re not going to elaborate then until we get the others? What are you doing, anyway?” He leaned over curiously to gaze at the screen. Ah, mass of green text he understood nothing about. He didn’t know what he’d expected to get out of looking over her shoulder like this. Akira frowned.

Futaba grinned. “Nope. All you need to know right now is that Prometheus uses my own sample to fly under the SE.RA.PH’s radar. Essentially making him an outside console~ It’s totally like god-moding an RP server, kek!” There was a song like lilt to her voice as she worked. Great, more video game jargon he didn’t quite understand, Akira sighed. Futaba enjoying what she could out of it.

A concrete foundation of information on this whole mess would have to wait for later. The students in the field seemingly unwise to their presence at all still. She had to love Presence concealment EX, thanks, Prometheus. “With _some_ limitations, though.” It came out almost like an afterthought, Futaba adjusted her glasses and took a step back from Prometheus.

Prometheus gave out a loud warble and the screen and keyboard rescinded back into it’s body, Futaba placing her hands on her hips in satisfaction as she waved it off to go back to it’s position behind the two of them. In the track field, Ann and Ryuji had stopped in their movements on the field. They looked confused, examining themselves briefly before finally noticing Akira and Futaba on the sidelines by the bleachers. Their faces lit up in recognition and they began running over, waving frantically at the two.

“Yo, Akira!! What the fuck is this, man!?” Ryuji was the first to reach them, panting as he leaned onto his knees. Ann, caught up second, more winded than Ryuji. She was panting between each breath pause in her voice. “Yeah, like-ugh Like what happened? I thought- I thought we were in Boss’s basement...?” She finally caught her breath, groaning exaggeratedly, leaning on Ryuji for dramatic effect.

“H-hey, Watch it, Ann!!” Ryuji shove her off him, grunting in mock frustration, before catching sight of Prometheus warbling and floating behind Futaba. The colour drained from both he and Ann’s faces comically and they pointed right at the servant, shouting in unison. “ _WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!?_ ”

* * *

After blowing off Ann and Ryuji’s initial questions with a wave of her hands and multiple shooing motions, Futaba managed to wrangle the three stooges long enough to lead them back into the school building and heading back towards the computer room. Promising that she would explain everything in there. Trying to tell them in few words as possible that it wasn’t safe to talk out in the open. At least in the computer room she could be sure no body or no thing was intercepting any communications.

Really, it was like trying to get Doland to heal you when you needed it in Palace Hearts. At least Akira had calmed down considerably since the initial talk they’d had, now back to his usual hunched over posture. He stood at the back, bringing up the rear in the group and occasionally twirling a strand of his bangs between his fingers when replying to one of the other two.

They reached the door to the computer room in less than two minutes, thanks to a fast pace. It wasn’t wise to stay out in the open like this for long, even with Prometheus’ Presence concealment active. Futaba held the door open for the others and pointed into the room like a disappointed mother after a parent teacher conference sending her children to their room. Everyone read the mood quite well and sulked their way into the otherwise dark room. Having no choice in the matter with Prometheus lightly nudging them in, warbling in what seemed to be a similar display of disappointment. Was it even possible for a floating ball like that to emote?

“Since, I’m positive that you guys only dragged Haru and Makoto into this, you’re going to explain to me finally exactly how you all got here while I get an npc to page them here to join us.” Futaba stood with her body in front of the semi-circle of computers, illuminated by their light in a way that only aided her attempts to look intimidating. Arms crossed, goggles pushed up her head, and sitting legs spread in a computer chair, Futaba thrummed her fingers on her arm impatiently.

All three exchanged guilty looks with one another, silently trying to goad the other into being the first one to talk. Eventually interrupted by Futaba loudly clearing her throat with impatience, Akira decided he might as well be the one to put the nails in their coffins.

“We… uh.” He started, pulling at a strand of his bangs and avoiding eye contact. “Ryuji bought beer off of Iwai, and… well, at first it was just me and the other two drinking. You know? Seeing what the big deal was, having fun.” Uh oh, Futaba really didn’t seem to like that answer.. Before she could interrupt him however, Ann interjected.

“Yeah! It was totallllyy innocent at first! Makoto tried to be a buzz kill when she got there, but I guess like, Haru thought it’d be fine since we were safe in Boss’s house anyway. Better to drink in a safe place than in some parking lot where cops could catch us, h-huh?” Ann was sweating bullets, biting her lip with nervous energy. This entire thing was already such a train wreck, and could still get much worse.

“So Makoto eventually caved and started drinkin at one too, cause y’know, she does everythin that Haru does ‘n all that shit. You seen it right, ‘Taba?” Ryuji was pouting a little, rubbing at the back of his head, avoiding Futaba’s scornful gaze.

These three would be the death of her, Futaba swore. She screamed inwardsly in her own mouth, frustrated more at how it began. “So explain to me exactly how that ends up with you stooges using my equipment in the basement!?” Futaba kicked her leg out and pulled her the ends of her hair, trying to calm down. Akira, Ann, and Ryuji she could understand teenage drinking with, but Haru and Makoto too!? Et tu, brute!?

Akira was the one to continue on from there. “Well, that’s actually how it started… I think we were all kinda tipsy (Futaba sarcastically interrupted mid-sentence in the background with a “You think!?”) and the party kinda left my bedroom. I don’t remember exactly how the conversation steered onto the topic of your lab but...” He scratched at the back of his head, fingers clutching into his dark messy curls nervously. Ann patted him on the leg and took his sudden lack of words as cue to step in for him.

“We saw the chairs, and the helmets. We thought it was some VR game you were holding out on us with! Akira mentioned I think that you were busy in your own lil..machine in your room playing some game you had to administrate for…” She glanced at Ryuiji, gesturing for backup again, nudging him in the side with her elbow, brows furrowed.

Ryuji luckily took the hint and sighed, picking up where she left off. They were all just taking turns at this point.

“Yeah ‘Taba, I got the idea that like, what if we logged in using them chair n helmets to surprise you like? A good prank to joke ya with! You wouldn’t have expected us to fuckin be all up in your game shit, congratulating you on interactin enough with people that you’re put in charge a somthin like that!”

Prometheus warbled again and it almost sounded angry, was Akira really trying to project emotions onto a machine? He wished he didn’t have to be around this freakish orb any more than he had to right now.

Futaba was not amused, how they dare mistake her glorious work as a mere vr game set up? Honestly, the nerve of them! What was she, some low grade streamer? She worked her butt off to build those protypes! “Those weren’t ‘game chairs’ you idiots! How do you think I got my position here!?” She leaned forward, shouting, gesturing upwards. “Sojiro used his connections to get me a contract with the government! I made those spiritron chairs as a way for me to have an in with the people I’m trying to kick the butts off of!!” A keyboard near her side became the casualty of her fist hitting the desk, clacking down to the ground as keys broke off the board.

“So you all got drunk after illegally buying booze of some shady adult, broke into my lab, thought my priceless prototypes were mere video game toys, and decided to come surprise me!?” All three of them nodded, fidgeting in their seats. The sounds of multiple pairs of footsteps could faintly be heard coming from down the hall. Haru and Makoto must be about here, then. Futaba pulled out the screen from Prometheus again and re-ran the same script she had used on Ann and Ryuji.

“We didn’t know… We’re sorry, Futaba. But can’t we like, just log out?” Ann tilted her head to the side, finger pressed against her cheek in pondering. Akira knew this question was coming, it made him nervous. On one had, he trusted Futaba’s abilities with his life, quite literally. But on the other hand, getting involved in a government conspiracy in what sounded like a literal war? That was an entirely different subject and he felt like he had a healthy amount of concern for all their wellbeing right now.

“Actually, Ann-" Akira was interrupted by a knock on the door. It must be Makoto and Haru having finally arrived. Futaba got up from her seat to go let them in, running her fingers through her hair out of nervous habit. This was afterall, a pretty stressful situation. When Futaba would have dreams about being a protagonist in an rpg, never did she think about the mental logistics of how stressful it must be on someone. 

Is this what being a leader was? Fuck this, Futaba hated it! She just wanted to take down the fuckers who murdered her mom, or at the very least, sabotage their plans to cheat the system to take over the world. Hacker vs Hackers. Classic, right?

This was anything but classic. She pulled the door open. “It’s about time you got here, are you out of your pre-scripted npc stupor now or what?”

Makoto and Haru looked like deer caught in headlights, blinking in confusion. Makoto was the first to speak. “Npc Stupor...?” Haru pressed her lips together, twiddling her fingers together from their spot clasped in front of her body. “Pre scripted? Oh! “ Haru clapped her hands up together suddenly. “We must be in the game that she’s helping run! How cute!” She giggled behind her hand gently. Akira and Ryuji covered their faces with their hands, elbows resting on their knees. It was going to be a long day. 

Ann waved the two girls over. “Hey guys! We uh, we got caught…ahah...”

Haru smiled. “Oh dear, it appears you have ben, Ann! We aren’t late for the party are we?” Makoto smiled and shook her head, Haru always made the mood feel better. “Yes, Futaba, I hope we aren’t too late, we don’t exactly know what happened." She paused briefly, almost unsure of herself. "We meant to find you right away when we all logged in.”

Futaba frowned, pulling the girls in and gesturing them towards two empty chairs. “I’m afraid it’s not all instantgram and lined camera sparkles, you two. Akira already knows the worst of it, but...”

Makoto and Haru took their seats, staring in wonder at Prometheus. Clearly, they had better tact than to interrupt Futaba to ask exactly what he was. An appreciated sentiment right now. Futaba didn’t think she had the energy to explain everything more than once, exposition was so tedious! She wasn’t used to talking so much. The room fell silent, Ann and Ryuji having already ben expecting something rather heavy to drop. Considering Futaba had just finished yelling at them how the chairs they used were actually prototypes for the government and all.

Ann was the first to break the awkward and heavy silence that had fallen in the screen lit room. “Futaba, we...” She started. “We aren’t in a game at all, are we?” Akira grimaced, and Ryuji looked at him eyes wide. Makoto and Haru shifted in their seats, suddenly uncomfortable.

“What’s Ann talking about, Futaba?” Narrowing her gaze at the ginger, her demeanor had fallen from something lighthearted to a more serious, yet nervous one.

“Yeah, ‘n maybe finally explain to us what the fuck that thing is finally!” Ryuji pointed at Prometheus, glancing at it incredulously. Akira leaned back in his seat and dragged his hand down his face. What he would kill for to go back in time and turn down that beer from Ryuji. Underage drinking was having more consequences than it was worth right now. He would rather have been caught and arrested than have to literally face the possibility of death. Pretty sure that was what anyone would say, too.

Akira stared at the floor between his legs, wondering for a brief moment if maybe they had all just gotten too drunk and passed out, and that this was all a dream. He knew it wasn’t, but he could still entertain the notion for a few moments longer before Futaba brought the reality of the situation hammering down on him again. How was everyone going to react...? He exchanged a glance with Futaba and stood to stand next to her. There was no reason to make her do this alone in front of everyone. Telling him had probably been one thing, but these were the lives of their friends she was about to lay down on. If he was going to be helping her supposed plan, the least he could do is stand by her for the most grim of it all.

Futaba shifted nervously, grasping at Akira’s hand for moral support. Akira was seriously the best brother she never had, reading her anxiety like an open book. She could do this. She wasn’t going to let them die. This would work.

“Alright, everybody, just, stay seated okay? Because-" She took a deep breath. "You’re gonna need it.” Futaba gulped, and began her explanation. There wasn’t as time to waste, the bandaid would have to be ripped off as quickly as possible.

Even if there was a possibility of deadly infection.


End file.
